


Play Me Like an Old Guitar

by thehorrorinsymmetry



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-05-27
Packaged: 2018-07-10 15:13:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6990655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehorrorinsymmetry/pseuds/thehorrorinsymmetry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Poe should be studying and grading papers, but Finn has a much more interesting way to pass the time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Play Me Like an Old Guitar

Poe plucks at the strings idly, trying to muster up the energy to study for his midterms. Meanwhile Finn - horrible, perfect Finn - is bent over his desk with his textbooks and notes covering the entire surface. Not that he’s  _ bent over _ it, it’s not like - 

He’s studying, is the point.

Poe would probably have an easier time focusing if he wasn’t a few feet away from the man he’s head over heels for. He glances at the stack of papers still waiting to be graded and thinks about his own upcoming exams, closing his eyes with a weary sigh. The library is calling his name but he just strums the opening chords to the song he’s been working on for weeks.

“Hey, teach me how to play?”

Poe jumps. He opens his eyes to find Finn watching him with an amused look. “Sorry?”

“Guitar. Um, you don’t have to, I just -” Finn shrugs, his gaze dropping. “I’ve always wanted to try? And you’re really amazing at it.”

He nods quickly, ignoring the sudden heat spreading through his face. “Sure, yeah, of course buddy.”

Finn’s face lights up in a smile. He stands up and lifts his arms high in a stretch, his shirt riding up and revealing a strip of dark skin. “Great, I could really use a break.”

Poe swallows.

Gloriously oblivious of the way Poe’s heart is stuttering in his chest, Finn drops onto the bed beside him with a smile.

“So, uh.” Poe looks down at his guitar, at the way his traitorous fingers shake against the fretboard. “This is a guitar. These things are called strings, they make noise when you move them.”

Finn’s laugh is a far sweeter sound than anything Poe’s capable of making. He swats at Poe’s arm. “Thanks for filling me in, smartass.”

Poe bites his lip. “Have you ever played before?”

“No, but I can read music and stuff. I played trumpet in high school.” He smirks, self-deprecating. “I wasn’t great at it.”

Poe chuckles. “Somehow I doubt that, buddy.”

He hands the guitar to Finn, careful to avoid touching him as he helps situate the instrument on Finn’s lap. A little line appears between Finn’s eyebrows when he tries to strum, the fingers resting on the fretboard dull the sound. Poe pulls both lips between his teeth to avoid doing anything horrible like trying to smooth the wrinkle with a kiss.

“You have to uh, press really hard with these fingers to make it sound right.”

Finn nods, pressing harder. The sound is much cleaner this time, but with Finn’s fingers placed randomly it ends up dissonant. Finn glances at him with a laugh. “That did not sound right.”

“No, that was good.  That’s just not a chord.” He moves Finn’s fingers, carefully focusing on his task. “Try that?”

It sounds almost perfect because of  _ course _ Finn would pick this up as quickly as he does anything. Finn grins at him. “What’s next?”

Poe glances down at the guitar, struggling to see the chords backwards. The image burns itself into Poe’s brain, Finn curled around his mother’s guitar like a dream he never let himself have. He’s going to lose his mind if he keeps looking at this.

“Uh, hang on, I can’t figure out the chords like this.” Moving before he can think better of it, he scoots back and puts one leg on either side of Finn. He leaves a space between them but his arms graze Finn’s sides when he reaches for the guitar. The contact sends a shock through Poe, hard enough to push the air from his lungs. “Is - is this okay?”

Finn nods. The movement draws Poe’s gaze to the way the muscles in Finn’s neck move. He tries to close his eyes but just ends up focusing on how warm Finn is, how soft his sweater is against Poe.

Poe has just made a grave mistake.

Finn, perfectly ignorant of the gravity of this situation for Poe, is waiting patiently. He doesn’t react when Poe hooks his chin on his shoulder, moves easily for him when he positions his own hand on the strings. “Okay, so this one is a G chord.”

Finn’s fingers cover his. He holds his breath as Finn tries the chord out, desperately wanting to drop his head against Finn’s shoulder and let himself feel.

They manage to make it through a few more chords without Poe spontaneously combusting. He fixes Finn’s position once in awhile, but frankly he can’t be blamed if he’s a tiny bit distracted by the proximity to the man he’s had a massive crush on for nearly a year.

“And if you put all those together,” It’s a painfully thin distraction, but he shifts to get a better grip of the guitar. He closes his eyes as he plays, getting into the rhythm of the music for a moment. “Anyway, there’s Wonderwall.”

Finn bursts out laughing, leaning against Poe’s chest as he giggles. “Oh my God, Poe,” His laughter dies down after a moment, easing into a low chuckle that makes Poe’s chest ache. “You’re ridiculous.”

He twists his neck to face Poe without moving off his chest. His smile is warm, soft, completely annihilating Poe’s defences with only a few inches between them.

Poe swallows. He has to get out of here, has to get away and breathe and then figure out how to salvage their friendship. “Finn, I -”

The words die on his tongue when Finn’s gaze drops from his eyes to his lips. He freezes. Finn leans forward so slowly Poe isn’t sure if he’s really moving at all. His eyes are still open when Finn’s lips graze his.

It’s chaste. Finn’s lips are impossibly soft, dry, barely pressing against his. It feels as if time has frozen and Poe wants to stay here forever, but Finn pulls away before he can react.

Finn stares at him, eyes widening in horror. “Poe, I’m so -”

He kisses Finn. For a long, terrifying moment Finn is frozen against him, but then he moves and Poe’s world turns upside down. He melts against Finn as he pulls Poe’s bottom lip between his. Finn’s hand finds his thigh and he lets go of the guitar’s body to cup Finn’s cheek, desperate for more of the contact that sends sparks through him.

Finn breaks the kiss and kisses him again, and again. He’s intoxicating, his touch dizzying. He smiles against Poe’s mouth and turns to kiss his palm. Poe inhales sharply. He nuzzles his nose against Finn’s, dizzy with the rush of delight, still not entirely sure that this is really happening. “I’ve wanted to do that for so long.”

Finn kisses the tip of his nose. “Me too.”

Poe drops his forehead against Finn’s shoulder, takes a deep breath. He puts the guitar beside them so he can wrap his arms around Finn’s waist.

“So, uh. I really like the way you teach.” Finn squeezes his thigh, his nose brushing Poe’s cheek. “Think we can do this again, sometime?”

It turns out that Finn’s laugh tastes every bit as good as it sounds.

**Author's Note:**

> written for the prompt 'teach me to play?' and crossposted [on tumblr](http://thehorrorinsymmetry.tumblr.com/post/145020538230/finnpoe-teach-me-how-to-play)
> 
> hope you enjoyed :)


End file.
